Two Queens cancer survivors mark their success
Women from Sunnyside and South Ozone Park head to Chicago for ‘Celebrate Life’ event
BY JACOB KAYE
Sylvia Quijano-Martinez
was terrified. After being
diagnosed with cancer in July
2014, the Sunnyside resident
thought of her father, who had
died of cancer. She thought
her fate would be the same.
But five years later, her
early prediction couldn’t be
less true.
“I thought I was going to
die,” said Quijano-Martinez,
54. “But thankfully my sister
was here and said that that was
my father’s journey and this
will be your own journey.”
This month, Quijano-
Martinez and Rita Quevedo,
of South Ozone Park,
celebrated five years of cancer
survivorship at the 31st
annual Celebrate Life event in
Zion, Illinois, an hour north of
Chicago. The event, hosted by
the Cancer Treatment Centers
of America Chicago, was a
celebration of life, attended
by over 100 cancer survivors
from all across the country.
Five-year survivors walked
down a red carpet as caregivers
and fellow survivors cheered
them on. They planted trees,
one named after each survivor
in attendance. Five doves,
one to represent each year of
survivorship, were released
from their cages. It was a
day of love and appreciation,
Quevedo said, and the sun was
shining through out it all.
“The way they presented it
to us was with a lot of prestige
and honor,” said Quevedo, 56.
“It was very cheerful and
everyone was very happy,”
Quijano-Martinez said. “We
were celebrating life. It was a
very good feeling.”
Both Quijano-Martinez
and Quevedo have been
making regular trips from
Queens to Chicago for cancer
treatment since 2014. The
Cancer Treatment Centers
of America Chicago, and its
centers in other cities across
the country, specialize in
survivorship cancer care. It
does not have a location in
Rita Quevedo, left, and Pat Basu, MD, MBA, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Cancer Treatment Centers of America Global,
Inc., plant a tree in honor of cancer survivorship.
New York.
Despite the distance,
Quevedo enjoys both the trip to
Chicago and the treatment she
receives when she arrives.
“They care for us as
humans,” she said. “If you do
anything with love, it’s going
to be very special.”
The treatment in Chicago
and the Celebrate Life event
stand in stark contrast to
the day Quevedo was first
diagnosed, she said.
“It was a horrible
experience,” Quevedo said.
“You lose track of your
surroundings. It’s black,
completely black.”
“But it’s part of the
journey,” she said.
This weekend’s celebration
was also part of the journey.
And both Queens women were
beyond happy to be there.
“It was a very unforgettable
day for all the survivors of five
years,” Quevedo said. “It was
so exciting.”
Quevedo’s daughter joined
in on the celebration and as
Quevedo made her way down
the red carpet, her daughter
cheered her on. They wore
matching shirts, celebrating
survivorship. Quijano-
Martinez, who wore a blue
dress down the red carpet, was
accompanied by her mother.
Both Quevedo and Quijano-
Martinez have returned to
Queens and hope to bring
some of the hope they felt over
the weekend back home.
“It’s always good to have
that positivity, on any level,”
Quijano-Martinez said.
“You can bring that back to
your community.”
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